Rokon In The Clay Bird

The centre of the film is not Kazi but his contrast, the madrasa boy Rokon. He represents imagination; he is always outside and has no home. His eyes mist over as he says that the madrasa is to be his home. The director, through Rokon’s character, tries to show the audiences his own resentment against the then Islamic fundamentalist family and Islamic education system. Both Rokon and Anu are forced to study in madrasa where Anu could not speak out, but Rokon does. They first bond over lunch when Rokon gives his fish to Anu. The other boys at the madrasa have fun at the expense of Rokon, by hiding a fish in his bed-sheet at night. Anu is sympathetic to him and they soon become good friends. The little boy 's eccentricity betrays the fact that …show more content…
It also reveals the good side of madrasas, which is seen in Ibrahim’s character. They help the most disadvantaged children in the society. Most of the children either have no family or their economic condition is bad which is discovered through Rokon’s dialogue, ‘madrasa is my house’. Again, the character of Ibrahim is an example of a more orthodox interpretation, which is at the same time moderate and questioning of extremist views of Islam. Masud consciously uses the name of ‘Ibrahim’ in the film, because it is in itself a coalescing principle between the Judeo-Christian tradition (Abraham) and the prophet of Islam. The film shows the understanding differences between cultures, which help people to appreciate their basic commonalities e.g. what can be observed between East and …show more content…
The bahas between teacher and disciple state different views of fundamentalism and more complex forms of Islam. In the song, it states that the people who have little knowledge on Qur’an misinterpret it. The director indicates impliedly Kazi who leads his life in the strict religious notion. This song also indicates a liberal thinking of Ayesha stating the independence or freethinking of women. It gives a message that both men and women have the same contribution to family and society. There should not have any gender discrimination. In the film, it is seen in various scenes that Kazi, who follows Sharia rule, dominates Ayesha and the entire family. The Sharia rule, according to the song, empowers male to dominate the family and society, but Sufism does not follow that rule. Another verse of the song says that kurbani of the Muslims what Sufism does not agree, asking how cow and goat can be the closest thing to any person. In an earlier scene, it is shown that men are struggling to bring down an animal in order to slaughter it on Eid, a sight that Ayesha does not let her children see. Another song before Eid day takes a dig at the practice of slaughtering animals by asking, if Muslims held cattle close to their heart as they sacrifice them, while the prophet had asked men to sacrifice that which was most